Hairpin opener



Aug.s,1939. s, ORDAL y 2,153,432

HAIRPIN OPENER Filed June 13, 1938 @y Wp/2m, m/mu# 5 Patented Aug. 8,1939 HAIRPIN OPENER Sigval E. Ordal, Chicago, 11i. Application June 13,1938, Serial No. 213,354V

12 Claims. (Cl. 132-1) The present invention relates to openers orspreaders for hairpins, and more particularly to a device for opening orspreading hairpins that are known commercially as bob pins, now commonlyused for holding the curls of womens hair inI position after the settingoperation. These hairpins are formed of spring metal and comprise twoleg portions integrally connected at one end by a loop and abuttingagainst each other for the greater portion of their length, the free endofl one leg portion being turned outwardly away from the other legportion to provide an opening between the two legs to facilitatespreading or opening of the pin. In the use of such hairpins it isnecessary to open or spread the two legs apart so that when the pin isinserted in the hair to hold a curl in place the hair of the curl andthe hair adjacent the curl will be gripped tightly between such legportions of the pin. Beauty shop operators use many of such pins inhairdressing operations, and it is necessary for the operator to open orspread each pin before it can be used, One manner of opening the pins isto hold the pin in one hand and spread the legs apart by inserting afinger nail of a finger of the other hand into the space between the twofree ends of the legs and then twisting the finger. This method ofopening the pins is disadvantageous not only because of the liability ofbreaking the finger nail, but also because of the danger of cutting orscratching the l ringer or cutting the scalp of the person whose hair isbeing dressed, as the pin is spread or opened with the finger nail ofone of the fingers on the hand that is used to hold the curl in placeuntil the pin is opened and inserted in the hair. It has also becomecommon practiceto opensuch pins by using the teeth, which, of course, isnot only unsanitary but is dangerous in view of the possibility of'cutting the gums and getting .an infection. Devices have also beenemployed that are secured to a table or shelf, but they have been foundinconvenient in view of the fact that the operator not only has to reachover a considerable distance to perform the opening operation, butalsohas to look very closely in order to place the hairpin in the properposition relative to the opener .to accomplish the opening operation.

With the above in view it is the principal ob-` ject of the presentinvention to provide a device for opening or spreading hairpins oftheabove mentioned type whereby the disadvantages above set forthareobviated, and wherein the spreading member is enclosed in a casing,thus minimizing the danger of the operator scratching or cuttingherself, or scratching or cutting the customer wilxilcgse hair is beingdressed, when opening the D It is another object of the invention toprovide such a device with means for securing it to the wrist of theoperator whereby it will be held in a readily accessible position' atall times, lyet will not interfere with the operator using both hands inthe hair dressing operation.

It is a further object of the invention to `provide an opener orspreader for hairpins comprising av casing enclosing the spreadermember, with guide means for guiding the hairpins toward the spreader inthe casing, thus obviating close scrutiny on the part of the operatorduring the opening operation.

It is a still further object of the invention to provideY a hairpinopener or spreader comprising a casing having magnetic propertieswhereby a supply of hairpins can be carried by the casing and heldthereon by the inherent magnetism in the casing, Y

Oth'er objects and advantageous features of the present invention willbe apparent from the following description of the preferred embodimentof the invention taken` in connection with the accompanying drawing, inwhich- Figure 1 Tis a top plan view of the hairpin opener and the meansfor attaching it to the wrist of the operator; v i

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the casing, showing in elevationthe spreader and the spring for holding the latter in normal operatingposition and for returning it to such position after each spreadingoperation is completed;

Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2,

'illustrating the position of the spreader during the opening orspreading operation; and

Figure 4 is a front view of the casing showing the hairpin receivingopening and the spreader mounted in the casing in rear of such opening.

Referring to the drawing,the hairpin opener includes a casing indicatedas an entirety by the reference numeral 6 and comprising a bottom wall1, top wall 8, rear wall 9, and side walls I and l I, all of which areformed integral with each other as shown. The bottom wall 1 alsocomprises integral fiange portions I2 and I3 that extend outwardly,respectively, from the sidewalls I0 and I I of the casing, said flangesI2 and i3 being provided with slots I4 and l5, respectively, to providefor the securing to the casing of strap members I6 and I1 of leather orother suitable material by which the casing can be secured to the Wristof the user in a manner similar to that in which a wrist watch isstrapped tothe wrist, as

will be readily appreciated. While I have shown and described the casing6 as of integral construction, as that is the preferred form in which Iembody my invention, it is to be understood that the casing may be madein as many parts suitably secured together as may be desired withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. Also, while I haveshown and described one manner of securing the straps |6 and I1 to thecasing, it is to be understood that such straps may be secured to thecasing in any other suitable or desired manner As indicated at 2| inFigure 4, the front of the casing is open to provide for the insertionof hairpins thereinto in the manner illustrated in Figure 3, and thisopening is disposed some distance back from the front edge of thebottomwall 1 of the casing as shown in Figures 1 to 3. The side wall I0 of thecasing, however is extended forwardly from the opening 2| to the frontedge of the bottom wall 1, and such extended portion of the side wall I0is enlarged or thickened as indicated at 22 to provide a recess 23 inrear of the opening 2| (Figures 2 and 3) to receive one leg of thehairpin during theA opening or spreading operation. The inner surface ofthe thickened portion 22 of .the side wall l0 and the extended portion24 of the bottom wall forwardly of the opening 2| provide a guideway forguiding the hairpins, one of which is shown in Figure 3 and indicated bythe reference numeral 25, toward a spreader 26 that is mounted in thecasing as will now be described.

The spreader 26 is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 26a extendingbetween the bottom and top walls 1 and 8 of the.casing, in rear of theopening 2|, said spreader being substantially triangular inconfiguration as shown and of a thickness sufciently less'thanthedistance between v the top and bottom walls of the casing so that it mayswing freely about the pivot pin 26a in the spreading operation. Oneside wall 21 of the spreader 26 adjacent its forward end abuts againstthe enlarged portion 22 o'f the side wall I0 adjacent the recess 23, andthe side wall 26 of the spreader diverges from the wall 21 as shown, themeeting edge of these two walls being formed to provide an upturned lipportion 29 that extends outwardly a short distance beyond the frontopening 2| in'the casing as shown. This upturned lip portion 29 providesa space oi' suiiicient width between the inner surface of the wallportion 22 and the spreader member to receive one legof a hairpin, butit is not of suflicient width to receive the two legs of the hairpin.One leg of the hairpin is usually bent outwardly from the otherleg`thereof as.. shown at 30 in Figure 3, and this bent out end prevents`this legof the pin from following in between the spreader 26 and theguide wall 22, while the straightleg of the pin is usually slightlylonger than the bent leg asindicated at 3| in Figure 3. A U-shapedspring 32 positioned in rear of the p spreader member 26 acts againstthe back wall 9 of the casing and reacts against the rear side 33 of thespreader member 26 to hold said member in its normal hairpin receivingposition as shown in Figure 2. The spring 32, however, permits thespreader member 26 to move out of its normal position during thespreading operation when a hairpin is inserted into the casingv intooperative relation with the spreader, as shown in Figure 3, and saidspring` acts to return vthe spreader member 26 to its normal hairpinreceiving position when the hairpin is withdrawn from the casing afterthe spreading operation, so that the spreader will be in proper positionto receive the next hairpin. The spring 32 is held in position by a pin34 extending between the bottom and top walls 1 and 8 of the casingadjacent the base portion of the spring as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

While in the preferred form of construction illustrated a U-shapedspring has been employed, other types. of spring means capable ofperforming the necessary function, or in fact any means that willfunction to return the spreader to normal position, may be employedwithout departingr from the spirit and scope of the invention.

While 'in Figure 3 I have illustrated the'hairpin 25 in the spreadingoperation inserted into the casing with its straight leg extending intothe recess 23 and its other leg having the outturned end 30 inengagement with the surface 28 of the spreader, it is' to be understoodthat the device will operate in the same manner` regardless of which legof the pin 25 is inserted between' the lip portion 29 of the spreader 26and the guideway 22, so that it is not necessary for the operator ltolook closely in operating the spreader. By providing the guideway formedby the inner surface of the portion 22 of the side wall I6, it is onlynecessary for the operator to place one leg of the hairpin on suchsurface and to then push the pin inwardly toward the spreader 26, and inthis operation the extended portion 24 of the bottom wall will preventthe pin from being pushed off of the guideway 22.

Within the scope of my present invention I also contemplate aconstruction in which I form the casing 6, or a portion thereof, ofmagnetic material, as for instance the top wall 9 as shown in Figure 1,whereby said casing will be adapted to pick up and retain thereon asupply of the hairpins 25, as shownso that they will be readilyaccessible to the operator at a point immediately adjacent the spreaderbut will notjnterfere with the operation of the spreader. With such aconstruction wherein a supply of hairpins is carried by the casing ofthe spreader device, considerable time and labor on the part of theoperator is saved.

I claim:

1. A hairpin opener comprising a Vspreader adapted to engage between thelegs of a hairpin to spread said legs apart, a guide disposed ad-Ijacent said spreader and cooperable with the hairpin in a manner toguide the legs of the hairpin over opposite sides of said spreader,means pivotally mounting said spreader, and

engages between the legs of the hairpin yieldingly against said guide.

2. A hairpin opener comprising a support, means for securing saidsupport to the wrist of the user, a spreader pivoted to said support andhaving a portion adapted to engage between the legs of a hairpin tospread said legs apart, a guide disposed adjacent the spreader andcooperable with the hairpin to guide one legonly of the hairpin betweenthe guide and the spreader, and means urging the spreader yieldinglyagainst said guide.

3. A hairpin opener comprising a casing havlng an opening in one wallthereof, a spreader in said casing, and guide means formed integral withsaid casing for guiding a hairpin into engagement with said spreader andthrough said opening.

4, A hairpin opener comprising a casing having an opening in one wallthereof, a spreader in said casing, and a guideway formed integral withsaid casing comprising extensions of two of the walls of said casing forguiding a hairpin into engagement with said spreader.

5. A hairpin opener comprising a casing, means for securing the casingto `the wrist of the user, an opening in one wall of the casing, and aspreader mounted in the casing adjacent said opening and acting tospread apart the ends of a hairpin when pushed into engagement with saidspreader and through the opening in said casing.

6. A hairpin opener comprising a casing, means for securing the casingto the wrist of the user, an opening in onewall of the casing, aspreader pivotally mounted inthe casing adjacent said opening and actingto spread apart the legs oi a hairpin'when pushed into engagement withsaid spreader, means for retaining said spreader in position in saidcasing to receive said hairpin and for returning said spreader to suchposition after the spreading operation.

'7. A hairpin opener comprising a casing, means for securing the casingto the wrist of the user,

an opening in one wall 'of the casing, a spreader l mounted in thecasingadjacent said' opening and acting to spread apart the legs of ahairpin when pushed into engagement with said spreader, and a spring insaid casing acting against a wall of the casing and reacting againstsaid spreader for holding the spreader in normal pin receiving positionand for returning' said spreader to such position after the hairpinoperated on by the spreader vis removed from the casing.

8. A hairpin opener comprising a casing, means for securing the casingto the wrist of the user,

` an opening in one wall of the casing, a spreader mounted in the casingadjacent said opening and acting to spread apart the legs of a hairpinwhen pushed into engagement with said spreader, and a guideway formedintegral with said casing adjacent the opening therein for guiding thehairpin toward the spreader.

9. A hairpin retaining device and opener comprising a casing formed ofmagnetic material adapted to hold a plurality of hairpins, an opening inone wall of the casing, and a spreader from the spreader.

mounted in the casing adjacent said opening and acting to spread apartthelegs of a'hairpin when it is pushed into engagement with saidspreader.

10. A hairpin opener comprising a casing, means for securing the casingto the wrist of the user, an opening in one wall of the casing, and aspreader \comprising two diverging surfaces 'having their meeting edgeadjacent one side of said opening, said meeting edge being spacedupwardly from the adjacent wall of the casing when in normal hairpinreceiving position whereby to permit one leg of a hairpin to pass undersaid edge, the diverging walls of the spreader acting to spread the twolegs of the hairpin when said hairpin is moved into opertaive relationwith said spreader.

11. A hairpin opener comprising a casing, means for securing the casingto the wrist of the user, an opening in one lwall of the casing, a

. spreader comprising two diverging surfaces having their meeting edgeadjacentone side of said opening, said meeting edge being spaced up-Wardly from the adjacent wail ofthe casing when in normal hairpinreceiving position whereby to permit one leg of a hairpin to pass undersaid edge, the diverging Walls of the spreader acting to spread the twolegs of the hairpin when said hairpin is moved into operative relationwith said spreader, the wail of the casing adjacent said meeting edge ofthe diverging walls of the spreader extending outwardly of said edge andoutwardly of the opening in the casing to provide a guide for guidingthe hairpin toward said spreader.

12. A hairpin opener comprising a casing having an opening in one wailthereof, a spreader pivotally mounted in said casing, a guideway formedintegral with said casing for guiding a hairpin into engagement withsaid spreader and A through said opening, and means for holding saidspreader in proper position relative to said guide- Way to receive theseparated ends of said hairpin, said holding means acting to return saidspreader to normal position after the hairpin is removed sIGvAL E.oRDAL.

